LR-5
by Monolaymoo
Summary: How long has it been...? Ten years now? It's finally time to set my plans in motion and this time...I won't fail. I also apologize for redoing it all again. I've been having some problems.
1. Reminisce(Day 1 pt 1)

I'm really sorry about this. The last few days have been tough since I'm working to graduate soon so please bear with me! I'll update as soon as I can!

* * *

…**who was it?**

…**who was responsible?**

**And more importantly…why?**

_(Why are we talking about this now? It's over isn't it?)_

_No. Not even close. Not with the murderer still out there. The murderer from ten years ago. That's right. This whole nightmare began ten years ago…_

_A brutal attack. The hope it bore._

_An ignored tragedy. A miracle by the sun god's song._

_And then a single flame ended it. It died. At least that was what everyone thought._

_And now ten years later…_

_The wind that once blew through Inazuma Town, for the first time, had become cold still._

…**_..._**

…**_..._**

…

[…yesterday morning]

It had been two weeks since their win against Oumihara and Tsurugi couldn't be angrier. As a reward of some sort, Tenma's dad sent the team a free vacation trip that he had already paid for everyone save him unless he somehow gained the ability to swim 970 miles tirelessly. The man had it in for him and the feeling was mutual.

Of course, everyone couldn't just skip school so everyone decided to leave right after practice which Tsurugi hated because this meant he had to clean up again. There was also something else…

"You didn't have to stay." Tsurugi said to the smaller boy who was his teammate and the son of the man who literally told him to go and die by a letter.

"Well, I want to! Besides, I haven't thanked you properly yet for winning the match!" Tenma reasoned, making Tsurugi groan in annoyance.

"How many times to we have to go through this? I just did what I was told to do." He answered.

"And I still feel bad about your arm." Tenma said in an apologetic tone. Did he forget to mention that hurled in the dumpsters one night? Luckily, his only injury was a minor bruise but in his guilt, proclaiming that he would help him get better, Tenma began giving him…well, he said was medication but personally, he wasn't sure what it was and he wasn't so sure it was a good idea to take it but Tenma would definitely have insisted and so he took it with a nod and once he got home, he tossed it into his desk and closed it shut. It's still there, completely untouched.

It seemed good at first until Tenma began giving food with strange things in it that would 'help'. He declined with another excuse that Tenma ended up misinterpreting that he was ill somehow. Stomach-ache, headache, sniffles… it wasn't long before everyday became a fight to stay alive after he found out that Tenma was actually getting some the ingredients from behind the school which he was pretty was all weeds.

"Oh, how's your headache?" Tenma asked a little bit too perkily which made Tsurugi question Tenma's mentality, not that it wasn't the first time this has happened and certainly not going to be the last.

"Oh. I'm fine now." Tsurugi answered, quietly hoping he didn't make something again but, he did.

"Well, I made something today I thought that might help!" Tenma said. "When you have headaches, it means you're tired so I made this lunch for you with a whole lot of stuff that should help!"

Tenma was even jumping a bit as he proudly showed Tsurugi the food-filled bento but Tsurugi knew what it was filled and quickly declined however with a lie.

"Um, no. That's fine. I'm full so-"

"Oh, don't worry! I'll give it to you later as a snack!" Tenma said.

"Sorry but I don't think that will work. I'm sort of busy then." Tsurugi told back but Tenma was persistent but in his usual way. He hadn't notice that Tsurugi didn't even want to try his food.

"It's okay! I can just pass by your classroom and drop it off!" Tenma said. All right, this meant very, very bad news for Tsurugi because yesterday, while trying to avoid Tenma again from one of their usual cat-and-mouse chases, he had accidentally run into his homeroom teacher and knocked him down and he was pretty ticked because, well, Tsurugi was never really on good terms with anyone who was an enforcer of some sort. Teachers, police, even past soccer coaches.

As punishment for the little incident, he had to stay back and miss the entire recess which he thought was unfair because, hello! It was an accident! It's not like he didn't try to help him up! If Tenma came by and found out, he would think he was doing him a favour. Worse yet, what if he decided to stay and make sure he ate it?

Before he could say anything, the school bell rang.

"Oops! Class is starting!" Tenma said. "I'll see you later!"

Tsurugi shuddered.

* * *

The school bell finally rang again and everyone noticed how ill Tsurugi looked today. He was sweating and his fists were shaking. The teacher however, seemed amused by it a little to see him squirming. As soon as everyone left, Tsurugi began making equations in his head. It ratio and proportions because he wanted to know if a good conduct record was worth having eat poison and he knew he had to be quick because he could here some of his classmates greeting Tenma close-by. And when he finally came with a bright and sunny, "Hello!" with the bento on hand, he made up his mind and bolted to Tenma's surprise. He already had a bad track record. He had nothing else to lose now except his dignity, pride, and his health because Tenma had already milked out everything from his wallet.

"Tsurugi? Where are you going?" Tenma yelled in confusion and ran after him and pretty soon the chase was on again but everyone was pretty used to it now.

So up the stairs and down, across the library, through the canteen and then to the back of the school.

Finallly, in pure desperation, Tsurugi hid behind the lone tree there near the wall that was probably there for a while. Tenma saw him of course and he was a bit angry now. He worked so hard to make this. He didn't know why Tsurugi wanted to run around the school but he surely had enough time eat what he made!

Unfortunately, Tenma was so fixated with Tsurugi that he hadn't notice the outgrown roots of the tree hiding just beneath a few clumps of grass. He tripped and just narrowly missing Tsurugi, the meal he had worked so hard to make flew with the contents inside splattering all over the wall and on the grass.

And then…silence. No one made a sound which unnerved Tsurugi because this was usually the time Tenma either cried or made a scene of some sort. "…Tenma?" Tsurugi said.

After a while, he heard a sniffle and now he was panicking. If the team heard about this, they would make him clean the entire clubroom until graduation!

"Tenma! Calm down! It's just food!" Tsurugi said but Tenma began sobbing. He finally had no other choice but to use his last resort…

* * *

"Aaaahahaa~!" Yuuichi laughed as Tsurugi buried his face in his arms in shame after finishing his explanation as to why he bought Tenma two packs of highway robberies known as Chocol, chocolate buns, each costing 500 yen a pack which was only two handfuls worth! He could have bought the cheaper ones at the hospital's eatery but nooo! It had to be that one!

At least Tenma seemed happy as he munched his snack down. Hard to believe he sometimes felt bad about this since he started helping Tenma to buy these things only recently.

"So everyone's gone today, huh?" Yuuichi asked. Tsurugi and Tenma nodded.

"Yeah and left us to clean up the mess." Tsurugi muttered.

"I helped!" Tenma said with his hand raised. Yuuichi patted his head like a reward and Tsurugi frowned more. He did most of the work! The three continued chatting and pretty soon, it was starting to get dark but somehow none of them noticed until Aki called Tenma asking why he wasn't back for dinner yet. That was when one of Tsurugi worst nightmares came to be.

"I know, why don't you stay over at our house tonight, Tenma? It's closer so it'll be safer for the both of you." Yuuichi suggested. Tenma accepted happily so there was no use complaining over it now.

The three said goodbye and as the two went off to buy something to cook, they began arguing, starting with what they wanted for dinner; menchi-katsu and beef stew which was what Tsurugi wanted or Tenma's favourite, boiled turnips and his leftover-mixed rice.

I wonder who won?


	2. I Forgot Sasuke(Day 1 pt 2)

Tenma sighed worriedly as Tsurugi hurled it away. "Aaargh! Stupid, cheap phone!" he yelled to Tenma's concern. "Tsurugi…"

It was only then Tsurugi realized how uncomfortable he was making Tenma and calmed his nerves down quickly. "Sorry about that. It's just-Damn! That phone is so annoying!"

Tenma picked up the old, literally slightly broken phone which, as he said, was cheap because it was one of those disposable you can buy at a store; the kind that tends to frustrate you more than it helps and by how things were going, the phone was obviously winning by a landslide.

"Well, maybe we can save to buy a new one for you. You always help me to buy Chocol so we're even." Tenma suggested, to which Tsurugi declined. "Nah. It's fine. I'll save up and buy the new brand myself."

Tenma pouted and sighed. He only wanted to help and without the rest of the team and just Tsurugi, it was so boring. Even with Hikaru behind as well, he mostly spent time with his new pet rather than them. In fact, even though they were supposed to go out today, it was only to buy a wheel for Hikari to play with. It made him almost wish his dad hadn't sent them the reward. It actually arrived about a week after Oumihara lost. Oumihara…that reminded Tenma, he had to ask them if they saw Tsurugi's phone since it was, _misplaced_, as Tsurugi put it, around the time of the match.

Tenma lied back on Tsurugi bed with a bored huff. That was still about an hour from now. He wanted something to do now! "Let's go-"

"If you ask to me play soccer with you again, I will kill you." Tsurugi replied and Tenma shut his mouth close with a tiny whimper. This was sooo boring! Tenma sighed and rolled on his side on his friend's bed. After helping Hikaru, he had to go back home to walk Sasuke. He was excited for that because he had bought him a new toy but he couldn't give it to him yesterday because he had to stay back at school to help Tsurugi clean…..

"AH!" Tenma yelled in realization, nearly giving Tsurugi a heart attack.

"Ugh! What is it now?" Tsurugi asked angrily.

"Sasuke's toy!" Tenma yelled. "I forgot it back at school!"

"Tough luck. Looks like you'll have to get it tomorrow." Tsurugi said with little care until Tenma grabbed his arm and started pulling him up to his annoyance. "Wha- Let go!"

"Come on! We have to go get it back!" Tenma said. Tsurugi sharply pulled his arm back however, clearly against Tenma's idea. "Are you kidding me? The school is close! What are we going do? Sneak in there, break into the clubroom and get it back?"

Tenma gave him a look and nodded. Tsurugi scratched his head angrily and flicked his head. "We are not going. That's final."

Tsurugi sat back down to play with his DS. He just opened it when he could hear Tenma sniffling from behind. "B-but….I promised Sasuke I would give to him today…"

Tsurugi sighed at Tenma's typical childishness to an annoying extent point. He continued to ignore him as he tugged his sleeve to make him go. "Please, Tsurugi…"

"…"

"Please….."

"….."

"Pretty please….?"

"….."

"…fine. I'll go by myself." Tenma said in a disheartened tone that Tsurugi brushed off. He couldn't actually be serious-

***THUNK***

Tsurugi stayed quiet for a bit and looked back to see that it was closed and Tenma, gone. He couldn't believe this! Fine! He can go break into schools if he wants! He'll only have himself to blame if he gets caught and possibly gets suspended. He can cry all he likes but it's not like he didn't warn him or anything…

…..

…

…..

…..damn it.

Tsurugi got up, took his jacket and left. Tenma owed him big time for this!

….

…

…

Tsurugi punched the wall. After that though, Tenma never even made it to school. He would learn that while chasing Hikaru's pet after having run into him.

He was angry; angry at himself that he hadn't gone with Tenma. But there was a truth he couldn't ignore which only made him angrier and that was the knowledge that even if he had been there, most likely, there wouldn't have been any difference with the result except that he would on operating table instead of just waiting outside for him.

Hikaru had literally cried himself to sleep already and his pet was looking at him with concern.

Tsurugi walked around again as what could be his last moments with a friend began to replay itself again as the clock let out another _*tick*_

…

…_hmm_…

_What should I do now?_

_Oh well. It doesn't matter. I'll just wait until everything plays to my advantage…._


	3. How Do We Tell Them(Day 1 pt 3)

_*RIIIIIIIIINNNGG~*_

_*RIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGG~*_

_*RIIIIIIIINNNGGGGG~*_

The man picked up the phone as usual. Another call meant that any moment of rest which lasted for about fifteen seconds now was over. It wasn't very long but that was all part of the job; not that it was something he liked. It wasn't like he was getting any younger and as much as he didn't want to admit it; he was getting on in the years. He could feel retirement coming all ready and he knew there was no escaping that. All he just hoped for were two things: a peaceful retirement and that whoever replaced would be sensible and the second one looked pretty bleak but more on that later.

"Hello?" he said. "This is Detective Onigawara speaking. Yes, all right. I'll head there now."

He hung up and looked around. "Now where on earth is he?"

"Hey there!" A woman with long brown hair in a brown jacket greeted. With a dress shirt, long yellow vest, and black belt and stockings and brown boots, her calm yet cheery demeanor and casual behavior towards just about every law enforcement in town, one would think she was a detective as well. Oh, how Onigawara wished. She was much more competent than some of the officers here, his partner included.

It was too bad she just wasn't interested, fancying herself as a freelance reporter. Despite how she acted, she had a good head and that black belt of hers didn't just serve as an accessory. To those who knew her well, it was a warning to anyone who was willing to pick a bone with her.

"Off again?" she said. "And I came all the way down here to ask you a favor."

"Well, jot it down on a notepad will you? I'll check on it later." Onigawara answered.

"By the way, I believe you were asking about your partner earlier?" she said with a silly grin. "I just saw him on my way here. He was talking to a woman. It looked they knew each other."

"Well, I hope he doesn't losing face in front of his girlfriend." He grumbled.

"I highly doubt that." She said. "She was way out of his league. She was gorgeous and dressed in pretty expensive looking clothes."

"Is that so?" he said. "They probably cost as much as what's going out of his next month's pay."

She chuckled but it was a sympathetic chuckle. A detective and his assistant. It reminded her a bit of the old days but the professor was much nicer to work with and his assistant was the best there was. "Maybe I should give him a call." She said.

"What?" Onigawara asked but she shook her head. "Oh nothing. Just reminiscing. I'll see you later then."

"Sure." He said.

* * *

"Hmm…" Tsurugi groaned, his eyes slightly stuck together from the usual morning sand. He was a bit surprised to find that he had slept on a couch when he remembered why exactly he was here. _Here_ was room 815 at the Inazuma Hospital where an acquaintance of his had been admitted. The why was an even more difficult question to answer.

He got off the couch to look at the person resting on the bed. Strange, even after all the madness yesterday, he looked so peaceful now like nothing had happened at all. When he looked back at things; that was something he did everyday after every, grueling match. It was a bit startling how he could smile like it was nothing…like everything was all right. It made him wonder what he would say if he woke up right that second but that wasn't going to happen, was it?

"Mm…huh? Tsurugi?" a voice moaned groggily from under the bed. He bent and lifted the cover to see Hikaru with a rat, half asleep on his stomach. So he spent the night here as well. Why on the floor though he had no idea. There was a couch outside but he guessed he wanted to sleep inside but why under the bed…?

Once Hikaru realized where he was, he jolted up, accidentally hitting his head above against the bed's steel frames. "Ow, ow, ow!" he yelled. Tsurugi shushed him quickly and helped him out.

"Be quiet! Do you want to make Tenma's condition worse?" he snapped, causing Hikaru to lurch back down in apology.

"S-Sorry…" he said. Tsurugi couldn't help but feel bad and calmed himself with sigh.

"Ugh." He groaned. This was just hard. He eyed Tenma for a moment who was still unconscious. He was the calmest person in the team. If he was this rattled…

"Hey, they're coming back today, right?" Tsurugi asked. "What time did they say they'd arrive?"

"Huh? Uhm," Hikaru muttered before taking a look at the clock which said that it was seven in the morning. "About now."

Tsurugi and Hikaru looked at each other with the same thought crossing their minds. Just how were they supposed to tell everyone what had happened?

….

….

…

"…_ugh!" Tsurugi grumbled to himself. Where on Earth could he have run off to? He had just passed the school and it was empty. The chew toy or anything that looked like a chew toy wasn't there anymore. It turns out breaking into a school was easy or their school at least. The gate was actually open. They really needed to up the security at school._

_So he figured he went to his home but something made him stop. The more he thought about it, the more worried he got. He had no idea why but he phoned Tenma's cousin which was probably the best decision he had ever made. He wasn't home. Heck, she thought he was still with him._

_After saying good-bye, Tsurugi remembered that Tenma had told him that he was planning to go and help Hikaru buy some toy for his rodent pet and so he went off to where Tenma said they would meet. He ran into Hikaru but Tenma hadn't showed up like they planned. Frustrated, he phoned Tenma but, no one picked up. _

"_I'll come with you and help you look for him!" Hikaru offered. And so the two went off. As they did, he tried phoning him again and again, the two walking around and about idly and still nothing. And then, they were just walking by near the Steel Plaza when they heard Tenma's phone ring._

_Tsurugi fumed and looked towards the park where he could hear the sound reverberate faintly. "Tenma! Would it kill you to answer your phone?!"_

…_no answer. Tsurugi felt a little irritated now and marched to the parked with Hikaru behind and tried calling him again._

_*…..RIIIIIIIIIINNGG~*_

_There it was and it came from up the steps. Tsurugi sighed and just walked up the steps, wondering if Tenma was just messing around him for not willing to help. He helped loads of times! He chooses not to this time and…_

_Tsurugi thoughts went on a standstill and for a moment, it seemed like time stopped. And then, he thought he was dreaming a sort of nightmare that he couldn't explain. For some reason, it felt like when he fell from that tree when he was young; when his brother lost his ability to walk but this, it was much, much worse._

_Suddenly, Tenma's phone which was lying far away gave out another, happy and eerie ring and reality dropped within the second._

"_Tenma!" he yelled and quickly came to his teammate's help who was curled in a fetal position. Hikaru was too shocked to do anything. It wasn't until Tsurugi and yelled at him to call an ambulance that he finally came back to his senses. His hands were shaking but he managed to dial the numbers._

_As Hikaru called for help, Tsurugi was cradling an unconscious Tenma who was now cold but he could hear him breathing but it was extremely weak. He wrapped him in his jacket and his mind began to fill with questions he couldn't even think of answers to._

_What could he do? Should he try to wake him up? Should he try tending to his wounds? But he was obviously bleeding from the stomach. What should he do?_

_What should he do? What should he do? What should he do!?_

_The same question continued over for what seemed like hours until he heard the sirens. After they took him away, he realized, he hadn't been able to do anything._

_What should he do?_

_What did he do?_

_The answer; he did nothing._

….

…..

"Tsurugi!" Hikaru called in concern as he shook him a bit, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh!? Oh…hey, Hikaru. Are we at the airport yet?" he asked.

"No, not yet." Hikaru answered. "It's just that, are you all right? You seem a little down."

"I think the reason should be obvious." He answered.

"No, I mean," Hikaru tried to explain. "Sorry. It must be just me."

Tsurugi looked at him and looked back out the window of the bus. How exactly could he tell them what happened? How exactly could he tell someone that in spite of everything; his training on God Eden, his experience in soccer, and knowledge on Keshins, he did nothing to help Tenma when he was in trouble?

He was stronger than Tenma, there wasn't much doubt there. When they first met, he beat him with a soccer ball over and again when he joined Raimon. He berated him often and he thought him as a weakling; an idiot who knew nothing of soccer and just went around talking about it without even knowing anything about it.

And in one second, it dawned on him just how wrong he was. Maybe it was from his time training in Fifth Sector or maybe it grew slowly on as he beat each team he was told to, either way, when did he become so conceited with himself?

He should have realized it sooner. He was an amazing and powerful striker who could make a winning goal and unfortunately, that seemed to be all that he was capable of. Just thinking about it made him wish….. he couldn't put it into words. Perhaps…a miracle of some sort? Anything so that things can just back to the way were.

* * *

"So that's the story?" Onigawara asked his assistant who was nodded his head under his cap.

"Yup! It's heart-wrenching is what it is! It's as horrid as the one that got me fired the last time!" he said. Yes, his partner was fired repeatedly as an officer but for various reasons, one which included letting a fire start in the evidence room.

"Go and ask the other officer for the reports. I'll look around the area." Onigawara said and his partner saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Onigawara wondered if he would be all right. This case was a nightmare for him. The victim attended Raimon Junior High. _He_ must have heard about it by now.

….

…

…

_What!? When did this happen…!? I can't say….. Could you please look into it for me until I get there? Thank you…_

_*beep!*_

_Tch! This is bad. If it is him then I have to get there now! Ugh…!_

_You just heard her, right? Please…you have to tell me what happened. You can't just say that…_

_Please…you have to tell me about what happened…!_


	4. Work(Day 2 pt 1)

"_The boat has arrived at Tokyo! The boat has arrived at Tokyo! Thank you for travelling with us. We hope to see you again soon. Please do not forget your belongings."_ the voice rang through the speakers. One man woke up with jolt. He had fallen asleep because he had just spent another all-nighter again. It made him wonder if whether he should have quit a long time but then again, he supposed it can't be helped.

He got up and slung his backpack over and looked out the window.

* * *

"What? When did this happen, Emmy!?" he asked in shock.

"Just yesterday! I saw it on the news!" Emmy answered from the other side. "Do you think it has something to do with what you're looking into right now?"

"I can't say." He answered. "I'll be taking the boat back tonight so I should arrive by tomorrow morning. Could you please look into it for me until I get there?"

"Of course! I'm already heading there! Just pass by my house and I'll hand you what I find, Mamoru." She answered. "And be careful. I don't want to have to go and tell your wife again where you are."

"Thank you, Emmy." Endou answered with a sigh. Honestly, she keeps treating him like kid. Well, in terms of age gap… But she always had his back. He just wished she wasn't so…in your face so much. It almost made him wish she would be a little more like Flora but only almost.

He looked up to see Tsunami's house. Even if they were teammates, he was going do everything he could to get what he needed from him.

…sorry, Tsunami.

He knocked on the door and boy, was he shocked. "Wha? Is that you, captain? Man, I almost didn't recognize you!" he yelled making Endou sighed again. He was just wearing a red hat. Why do people act so surprised whenever he wears it? "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be in Inazuma Town? But that explains why Kidou was here with them and not you."

Now Endou was surprised. Just what was happening and what was he missing? Ugh, work, right! "Can I come in? I need to ask you something…"

* * *

Endou rang the doorbell in front of Emmy's home.

"_I'm coming!"_ a voice yelled and Endou chuckled.

"I know it's you! Don't bother pretending to be Emmy!" he yelled and from the dog hole at the bottom of the door, out came a green parrot. _"Hello! Hello!"_

It was a long story how he got him but that was another story for a later time.

"Let me guess, something came up and Emmy had to leave for work and left you to hand me her notes?" Endou asked confidently.

_*Squack! Tell Mamoru it's on my desk! On my desk! Squaa!*_

"On her desk, got it. I'll give you your reward later." Endou said to the parrot's glee.

_*Reward! Reward!*_

It hopped on the rails and followed Endou up to Emmy's room. Unfortunately, Emmy liked using a different method to keep out intruders, as did he.

"Ugh, it looks like Emmy changed the combination again." Endou sighed. Instead of using a normal lock, she used a number combination instead.

_*Flowers! Squuack! Pretty flowers!*_

"Flowers?" Endou said and he behind him to see a painting he hadn't seen before, filled with flowers in a vase, some petals falling softly on what looked liked a desk. He looked at the doorknob and smiled. He thought the doorknob looked new. There was an intricate pattern oriented at the center and three 'stems' were carved down ending just over each number pad, each in a different color. He looked back at the painting and saw only three flowers had the patterns at their center like the ones on the doorknob in three different colors, the same as the stems. "Always with the puzzles. Let's see…8, 1, and 5."

***CLICK!***

* * *

"Tenma? Yeah! He and I go way back. I used to babysit him until he moved." Tsunami

answered heartily. Endou wasn't so surprised they knew each other by what Tenma told him about Gouenji and Tsunami. That and Kidou told him a thing or two.

"So you two were neighbors?" Endou asked as he looked outside to see a huge apartment building. "But that was building was built a month after the Aliea Academy thing, right? You said Tenma was gone by the time you came back."

Tsunami stopped smiling and a solemn look. "Yeah, Tenma took it pretty badly when he came back."

Endou felt a little sympathy for Tenma but he was surprised that Tenma managed to keep so much without anyone knowing but there had to be at least someone who knew all about Tenma past and he was smart enough to know that that _someone_ was standing in front of him. He couldn't even imagine Tsunami would not know anything. He had to get him to tell him something or maybe he could look around for a hint of some sort to help him.

"Just how do you know all this anyway?" Tsunami asked.

"I sort of left Kidou to take care of them for a while until I finish some stuff up." Endou answered with a sweatdrop. "And I asked him to keep me updated but it's obvious he hasn't been for a while."

"He said it's been three weeks." Tsunami told him making Endou understand as to why Kidou hasn't been keeping him updated. "So a while ago, you said they were here…?"

"Yeah, it was like a reward or something for their win." Tsunami answered. "They left this morning."

"They did? Hoo boy…" Endou muttered.

"Huh?" Tsunami asked.

"Oh, um," Endou said, not sure if he should tell him exactly what Emmy taught him. As he was thinking, Tsunami noticed him and in a rare moment, gave him a serious look.

"Did something happen that you aren't telling us?" he asked. Endou thought for a moment and it was gamble but if there was anything that could get him to open up about Tenma, it was Tenma.

* * *

"Found it!" Endou celebrated, waving the notes a bit in front of the bird so he could see. He stuffed it into his bag and went down stairs, passing the memo behind the door he had made sure to read.

"_Oh, the code should help you find Tenma too."_

Once he got to the door, he turned to stop the parrot from following him. "Sorry but pets aren't allowed at the hospital. I can't take you with me."

"…_Awck!"_ the parrot said but he didn't budge and remained obediently. Endou left, feeling a bit guilty but that would stay for a while. Natsumi must be wondering where he was, Kidou was now twice as busy, he also hadn't written each of them a letter in a while so he could imagine Flora lecturing him again and he had to write to her as well. She should be taking the exam soon and he needed to support as much as possible.

Sigh…the things he had to do.

* * *

"What!?" Tsunami said to him. "Please tell me this is a joke!"

Endou looked at him, feeling a horrible and said. "Do you need a minute?"

Tsunami and got up rather shakily. "I think I need some air."

"Should I come with you?" Endou asked but Tsunami shook his head.

"Just…give me a minute or two. I'll be fine." He said. Endou had his doubts but he knew Tsunami was strong enough. So he nodded his head and watched him leave. And anyway, this was a good chance to look around without Tsunami stopping him. As much as he hated to take advantage this kind of situation, he needed this. He just hoped Tsunami…oh who was he kidding? Tsunami would kill him later for this.

He immediately ran to the door, quietly locking before stopping to think; if he was Tsunami, where would put things like old photo albums and whatnot?

It took a few minutes before he ran to Tsunami's room and went to his closet where his clothes and a peculiar old cardboard box were.

He rummaged through and there were Tenma's childhood photos. About three only but it was a start.

"Of course…I guess ever since Tenma came to visit, he probably needed to keep them on hand to show to Tenma every now and then." Endou sighed while looking closer at one plain photo. He looked at the second one next "And you can barely tell anything from this photo. Even if Gouenji saw it, he probably wouldn't think much of it."

He took a look at the final third and he sighed happily.

"Finally! Even Tsunami can't play dumb to this!"

* * *

Endou sighed. Tsunami caved faster than anyone. He had never met anyone so willing to give information so quickly but then again, ten years is a long to hold that all in and Tsunami was only holding down what he felt was only fraction compared to what this was leading. He could feel it in his stomach. It was churning and h felt sick to the bone every time he thought about this. Unfortunately, he discovered long ago that he had a pretty strong sixth sense, enough that whenever he felt something horrible was going to happen, it always would. He would give anything just to be wrong for once and it being that the situation was better than he had expected and not the other way around.

"So here I am, at the Inazuma hospital." Endou said. "I wonder if Fuyuppe is all right. It's probably not good to have a patient in such a state who you know. Hang in there, Fuyuppe."

* * *

"No. I'm fine. Really, dad." Fuyuka told her father on the phone. After Taiyou was given the 'OK' and left, she thought things would be a little more peaceful until Tenma was brought in for the second time. She wished she could be there for Aki but a being just took up so much time. At least she could be there for Tenma but there wasn't much she could do except to watch Tenma sleep until her shift ended. It was frustrating. It didn't help that that awful Dr. Itsukura wouldn't allow them to even do checkups on Tenma to make he was all right and he insisted on doing it himself.

Her shift had just ended and she was waiting for the elevator but when it opened, she almost had a heart attack. A large, burly man in a coat with glare one could easily tell was filled with rage. He reminded her of one those scary villains in those cartoon shows she used to watch.

He turned to glance at her, making her flinch. He said nothing and simply walked passed her.

She sighed in relief and went to the elevator. That man really scared her. He had such an intimidating aura around him. As the door closed, she saw the doctor in said appear from the corner and talk to the man as if he knew him.

Now she was curious but before she could hear a word, the door closed.


	5. Everyone(Day 2 pt 2)

I've been using an iPad to post updates which is troubling. I'm just glad to be using a laptop again.

* * *

"I think you might be overreacting just a bit." Endou told.

"Well, you're always saying how I should be cautious." Fuyuka said.

"Cautious, not paranoid." Endou said. "Just because a man looks scary doesn't mean he's up to something. What does he look like anyway?"

"Big, burly…he actually makes dad look like Kogure in comparison." Fuyuka answered, astonishing Endou a bit.

"Woah." He said. Anyone who would hear this would definitely be surprised.

"Plus, he knows the Dr. Itsukura." Fuyuka added.

"Dr. ?" he said.

"Yeah. He forbade us to do anything except watch him. He doesn't even let us do check ups him." Fuyuka said. "If you ask me, that's really suspicious. Hey, are you listening, Mamoru?"

"Huh? Oh yeah. Of course, Fuyuppe!" Endou nodded quickly. Now probably wasn't a good time to tell her anything just yet. Besides, he needed to figure out who this mysterious stranger is and he wasn't sure about but he had an idea but he just wanted to be sure first.

"So, um, Natsumi's been asking about you lately." Fuyuka said. "And she's really, really mad."

A shiver went through Endou's spine. He already knew what was coming and so he really didn't want to talk about it now. In an attempt to change the subject, he remembered something.

"Wait, the team came back yesterday, right?" Endou said. And Fuyuka nodded her head and within the one minute, she summed up yesterday into three words.

"It was bad."

* * *

There wasn't practice today. It got cancelled because none of them could even feel their legs to kick sand, much less play properly.

Of course, some of them were expecting to be scolded harshly again like last time but for Coach Kiduo just said that they had until tomorrow to take in the shock. The response was mixed but everyone just wanted to get their heads together. Hikaru gazed worriedly at his senior, Amagi who had suddenly gotten quiet and rather distant.

He saw him leaving with Kuramada and he quickly said goodbye to Tsurugi who remained where he was.

He was the former captain if Kuro no Kishidan but even then, he hadn't cared or worried this much over, probably because he barely knew them. He knew he was supposed to but at the time he couldn't stand soccer. He never visited them, got to know them, all he literally knew about them was their names and faces and nothing more than that.

He found it odd that he cared a bit more for the team he had only spent a few months in rather than the one he had spent years in but then again, if he hadn't been forced by _that_ person to continuously engage with them until he finally he didn't have too, his lifestyle as a loner probably would have continued. And now, even more strange, the thought of that actually continuing was a very scary thought now. It was almost surreal that he used to find it so comforting and that he spent some time looking up at the ceiling of his bedroom, wishing he hadn't even-

He shook his head. That was where he drew the line now.

"I'm going." He said as he left. Shinduo gave him a cold glare, possibly the angriest he had ever in a very long time but whether it was for his unusually calm nature was something he wasn't sure of. Maybe he was angry at Tsurugi because of what happened before he had left…

* * *

"But I want to stay!" Tenma yelled at him.

"And I don't want you to!" Tsurugi yelled back.

The two were arguing for a while, Tenma wanted to stay behind out of guilt and Tsurugi just wanted some alone time, one he hadn't had in a while but Tenma didn't understand and thought he just wanted him to go with them out of the nonexistent goodness of his heart that Tenma had made up in his head.

"I. Want. To. Stay!" Tenma yelled.

"And I'm saying, GO AWAY!" Tsurugi yelled at him.

"Hmm…" Kariya thought rather fondly, making Kirino curious because whenever he was happy, it meant someone else's misery.

"Whatever you're thinking, go ahead." Kirino told him. "Just don't blame me if Tsurugi kills you."

"What, I'm not thinking of doing anything!" Kariya said but in a low enough tone that no one could hear them. "It just that have you noticed lately that whenever those two fight, Tenma is the one who usually wins the argument now?"

Kirino was about to contradict him when he began thinking back the last few days. "Now that you mention it, Tsurugi has been a little softer lately."

Now that, Tsurugi heard well and clear.

"Ow!" Kirino yelled in pain as a soccer ball flew and hit him in the head. Kariya chuckled but then a second hit him, making Kirino smirk.

Kariya glared back at Tsurugi who seemed content about the results. Kariya was going to tell him off but he took one step when Tsurugi darted at him one of his famous death glares that made him stop in his tracks. Tenma however was still angry slapped him in the head which astonish majority.

"That's not nice!" Tenma said.

"Oh, shut up!" Tsurugi said. "Anyway, just stop being so stupidly obstinate and go!"

"No!" Tenma said and Tsurugi had had enough and just stormed out. Pretty much everything became quiet and Tenma seemed mad but the anger quickly faded and Tenma returned to his usual self and then he suddenly began to recline a bit, obviously feeling a bit guilty, naturally because of his over caring nature.

Shindou noticed this and looked to where Tsurugi had left.

…

"…stupid little…" Tsurugi grumbled, kicking a nearby pebble. "I already lost my Lightning TRH-R0002…he doesn't have to make things worse for me by staying and annoying me all day! Can't that stupid moron get a hint?"

He was so angry that he didn't even care that he was walking against a crowd of people, bumping rudely into many as he gripped to himself.

"Tsurugi, wait up!" Shindou called from behind which Tsurugi deduced was him coming to tell him off which irritated him a bit since he had been on his case since he tricked him and Kirino into wasting three hours of their lives searching for Tenma when he was already safely at home, something he still hadn't regretted.

"If you're going to tell me off about that idiot, then go away." Tsurugi said. As much as Shindou would like that, that wasn't why he was here.

"Of course not." Shindou answered. "You all ready that that's how Tenma is. He won't stop until he gets what he wants. So no matter what, you do know he's staying either way, right?"

Tsurugi just kept on walking, trying to drown him out within the noise of the crowd. "And you do also know that he only means well, don't you?" Shindou asked. "And if he knows he's done something wrong, he'll try to say sorry but you know how bad Tenma is with that. He just tends to get nervous about it and he won't be able to find the right words to say it unless you give him a push."

"And what?" Tsurugi said. "You want me to push him by saying sorry first even though I didn't do anything just to make him feel better?"

Shindou just looked at him and then left without a word, deciding to leave up to him...

What happened after that, he didn't know and he didn't care. He just wished he had gone after Tenma instead and convinced him not to go instead of siding with him. That way, maybe this wouldn't have happened and then he would be fine and then he would be here with them and everything would be all right and the same as usual.

He jolted when he felt a tap on his shoulder and he saw his two closest friends standing there.

"Uh, Sangoku have to go run some errands." Kirino said.

"Do you want to come with us?" Sangoku asked.

Shindou just looked at the two before his expression finally softened for what felt like the first time.

"Thanks." he said.

"That's what friends do, right?" Sangoku said back. They had to look out for each other. Kirino was happy that his best friend was smiling when he heard the door click shut.

"Uh, wait here for a second you guys." Kirino said before rushing out and he was right, there was Kariya close by, heading to the field towards the basket filled with soccer balls.

"We're going to go run some errands now." Kirino went to tell him. "You can join us if you want."

Kariya didn't say anything and just threw the soccer ball up on the ground before kicking it up into the air to juggle it on his knee.

"Kariya…" Kirino said and the ball fell as he lost focus. He grumbled and went to pick it up, ignoring his teammate completely.

Kirino sighed went towards him, not the least irritated but concerned that he wasn't his usual, mischievous self. He was so quiet and he hadn't heard him even say a word since yesterday.

"Kariya, if you need someone to stay with you-"

"Shut up!" he yelled without warning, startling Kirino. "I don't someone to stay with me! I'm perfectly on my own!"

Kirino gave him a sympathetic gaze but then Kariya suddenly bolted off, stunning his senior more.

"Kariya!" Kirino called and quickly ran after him, following him behind the school. "Kariya…*pant* I swear-!"

He was just about to yell at him when he saw something he never expected to see Kariya of all people do, cry. But though the tears were visible, Kariya kept his head down though, keeping away from eye contact.

Kirino wasn't sure but slowly went forward to him, hoping he wouldn't run away this time and fortunately he didn't. He sat beside him but the barely looked even looked at each other.

"…Kariya-"

"I don't want to hear it!" he snapped. The two got quiet and Kirino looked at him but he didn't say anything. He never saw his junior this distraught before but he couldn't help but that think there was something more to it and maybe that's why he needed someone to stay with him the moment.

Kirino dialed something on his phone before putting it into his pocket. Kariya looked back at his senior.

"Aren't you going to go with them…?" he asked.

"We'll catch up with them later." Kirino said and Kariya looked away.

"I don't want to go." He said.

"Sure?" Kirino asked.

"…..fine." Kariya said. The two sighed in unison as the stagnant air surrounded them. It felt strange. How long had it been since the wind blew so merrily?

* * *

"Maybe we should buy her a new cage?" Kuramada suggested. The three were at the pet store, scouring for a new toy to satisfy Hikari. He didn't need to but he just spoiled her so much and it was about the only other thing they could do to get their minds away from worry other than homework and they certainly didn't want to do that.

"What's this wooden thing for?" Amagi asked a worker.

"Oh, you see, rodents' teeth tend to grow fast and they don't stop. To keep it from growing to long, they continuously teethe on something hard like this treat." He explained.

"Really? Maybe that's why she keeps biting on her cage!" Hikaru said. "I'll take on- Oh, I don't have enough money."

"Uh, I'll help pay for it." Amagi offered to Hikaru's surprise.

"No, it's fine. I can come back later tonight." He said.

"Well, this is a twenty-four hour store." He said. "But it can be dangerous coming late at night, are you sure?"

"I'm-"

Before Hikaru could say anything, his two companions interrupted abruptly, both saying simultaneously, "We'll pay for it now!"

Hikaru was taken aback a bit. They were acting very oddly since…oh. Maybe it was something he should have realized.

As he stuffed it into his bag, he looked at the two. "Everything's going to be all right, you know."

Once he said that, the two looked at back him but their faces weren't just plated with surprise, it seemed like, that was something they needed hear.

Hikaru smiled at the two but then his expression changed.

"Oh! There's Kurama, Hayami, and Hamano over there." Hikaru pointed out and when they looked back, sure enough, there they were.

"Guys! Hey!" Kuramada yelled. Hayami jumped like a mouse and it had been a while since he was this rattled.

"Ah, oh, what are you guys doing here?" Hamano asked in a forced tone. The three decided to overlook it. It would probably make things awkward if one of them pointed it out.

"We were looking for a new toy for Hikari!" Hikaru answered. The three looked at each other when Amagi explained, "She's the new rat in the laboratory."

"Oh." They said unison. "Well, we just came here to get our minds off…you know." Hamano answered.

"We could have just done our homework." Kurama muttered but no one said anything but Hikaru spoke up.

"Well, mom says that I should have some friends over some time." Hikaru said. "Maybe we can do our homework together or something?"

Hikaru was forcing it to. He could stand to see everyone so down. Five people was a lot but…

Kurama looked at his junior and grumbled a bit.

"Fine, why not?" he said. Hamao looked towards Hayami with a tired smile.

"Sounds like fun. Can you feed all five of us though?"

"Um-" Hikaru said. Amagi noticed and just decided to go with it.

"We might as well go find something to eat then." He said. The five agreed and went off.

As they walked away, they failed to notice two other children in the bookstore.

"...hm." Ichino sighed. "You know, I don't really feel like buying this book anymore."

The book was a best seller. It was a mystery novel about a London gentleman who investigated strange events. This issue had something to do with something related to his friend's death some time before which now, sounded awful.

Aoyama looked worriedly at his friend. He had been an avid fan of this series, even watching the show. He spent months saving up for it and now, he just looked terrible.

"You know it's not real, right?" he said.

"It says it's based of real events in a place called Monte d'Or fourteen years ago." Ichino said.

"Oh, come on. I'll show you." He said and they went to a computer in the bookstore. They knew the store clerk well so she practically let them do whatever. Unfortunately, it seemed he was wrong.

"Dark Miracles in Monte d'Or Stump Police…The Mask Gentleman, Who is He?…" Ichino followed as Aoyama felt worse. He had just proven that everything in that did in fact happen, including about his friend dying. Ichino must be feeling terrible now and it was all his fault now.

Ichino clicked another button and after a while, he smiled. "Hey, Aoyama…"

"Uh, yeah?" he asked.

"Thanks. I might get this book after all." He said before leaving, making Aoyama confused. He went to the monitor and there was another article.

"_**Another Mystery Solved. A True Miracle! Young archeologist, Hershell Layton solves another baffling mystery that plagued and stumped even the best of Scotland Yard it seems this mystery held another miracle, just specifically for him. Randall Ascot, an acquaintance of Mr. Layton who was thought to have died many years was in fact alive. The two are now sharing a happy reunion…"**_

Aoyama didn't need to read the rest. He quickly followed Ichino once he called for him. He was just happy to see him smile again.

* * *

There was another knock on her door. She swore, if it was another, grubby reporter…

"Good evening, Aki-san." Aoi and Shinsuke greeted in together with a box in hand. "We made cake."

Aki smiled and went to hug them. "Thank you so much you two. You don't know how much this means to me."

"I think we do." Aoi said.

"We sort of need this too." Shinsuke said, making Aki nod as she understood.

"Could you two go up to play with Sasuke then? He's been pretty lonely lately." She said. "He's barely touched his food bowl."

"We will." Shinsuke said. The two went up but once they opened the door, Sasuke came up barking happily but upon seeing them, he stopped, as if disappointed and he went to the corner of the room, sulking with his food bowl filled and untouched.

Aoi went over and pet him, making his tail wag and more so when Shinsuke joined, rubbing his stomach.

"He must be lonely without Tenma." Aoi sighed.

"I've never seen him so sad before." Shinsuke said. "I guess he needs the company too like us."

"Dogs are a lot more sensitive to some things." Aoi said before sniffling a bit. Sasuke cocked his head up at her and suddenly rubbed up against her.

"…thanks." She said.

Shinsuke smiled too and kept on petting the dog.

* * *

Tsurugi was walking home, grumbling to himself when he felt a presence from behind.

"There's no use skulking around, I know you're there Tenma." He said.

Tenma was shocked and stepped out in amazement. "How'd you guess I was there?"

"You're just noisy." He said. "Now go away."

Tenma didn't talk back but kept on following him but he seemed more fidgety this time.

"…U-um, so, I…" Tenma said. He looked close to tears. Tsurugi remembered what Shindou told him earlier and sighed. He looked at Tenma one more time and scratched his head.

"I-I'm sorry…" he finally said.

Tenma seemed surprise but he calmed down and nodded.

"Tsurugi…I-I'm really sorry…about earlier I mean!" Tenma said. He was still nervous but at least he was smiling as usual.

"How about we just call it even?" Tsurugi suggested and Tenma jumped up and nodded.

"Okay!" Tenma said.

Tsurugi didn't know exactly himself what he did right but he was this situation would be just as easy to fix at that. The next day, the team left and two got into another heated argument, one that ended rather quickly as well and then after that…

Tsurugi just sighed, closed his textbook, turned the lights off, and pulled the covers up. He had to thank Nurse Fuyuka for this later.

"Night, Tenma." He said, knowing full well haw wouldn't answer back this time.

* * *

Coming up with names is tough. Feel free to name the parrot will you? If you have any critics, please tell me coz I've been off for a while and it's been a long time since I wrote decently. I need something to help me get better.


	6. Beast( Day 3 pt 1)

"Tsurugi!"

As a startled Tsurugi opened his eyes, he could hardly believe it.

"You shouldn't be sleeping! It's almost to practice."

The person talking in front of him was none other than Tenma, healthy and bright and never looked better.

"Come on! Get up already!" he scolded. Tsurugi was too shocked to speak but he got up to Tenma's wishes. Just what was going on? Tenma was shot. Why is he here and how did they get there?

"You're so slow! If you don't start getting it together, I might replace!" Tenma said, irritating Tsurugi a bit as he knocked his head.

"Over my dead body." He said to him. Dead body…

"Tsurugi, is something wrong? You look a little pale." Tenma said.

"Hu? No, it's nothing. I just had a nightmare." He answered, making Tenma chuckle.

"Really? So even you get nightmares too?" Tenma asked. "What was it about it?"

Tsurugi didn't answer however. He'd rather not tell him. Still, he was glad that it was all just a dream.

Tenma looked at him curiously but then he sighed a bit.

"Tsurugi, what's going to happen to me?"

"Huh?" Tsurugi said. "What do you mean?"

"I think you and I both know what I'm talking about." He said. "I know things have been tough for you; first with my accident and then you had to spend days watching over me, even though you weren't sure about it."

"Wha-Why are you saying all this?" Tsurugi asked in surprise, wondering what was happening.

"You can't lie about it. I know how concerned you were about my memories then." He said. "And now, you're wondering if I'll ever wake up, right?"

Tsurugi was just too confused but strangely, he didn't feel like hiding anything.

"So what if I am?" he admitted.

"Don't you think that's strange?" Tenma asked. Tsurugi didn't know what he meant and then he stretched his hand out to him. "Remember now?"

"You have to more precise than this." Tsurugi said. Tenma smiled at him but it wasn't one of his usual silly grins. It was a calm, serene smile. Tsurugi looked his outstretched hand and then, he felt a tug in the back of his mind. He didn't understand but he began to reach out for Tenma's hand. Their fingers were just about to touch when something sharp hit him.

The next thing he knew, his eyes bolted up and he found himself groaning, his back aching as he lied on the floor. He looked and there was the familiar, husky man from before.

"Well, well…finally awake are we, sleeping beauty?" he asked. Tsurugi frowned and he picked himself up.

"No, I was a having a nightmare." He answered. "You were in it."

"Oh, you mean from when I pummeled and you just lied there like a girl?" he said back. "Wait, I happen to know a girl who punches better than you. I wouldn't to insult them by putting you on their level."

Tsurugi let out a low growl until he saw Tenma and the dream came back to his head but now it seemed embarrassing. He looked away, hoping not to the man behind him on about what he might have dreamed.

"Now get out will you?" he said, making Tsurugi forget his dream immediately.

"And why should I listen to you?" he snarled.

"Who said you had to?" he replied and soon, Tsurugi was shocked, yelling out as the man raised him up by the back of his neck with one hand and resumed to throw him out of the room roughly, making him yelp as the same shoulder landed on the cold tiles.

Tsurugi managed to send him one, hate-filled glare before he shut the door with a click of he lock. Bah! He had to go to school anyway!

He was picking his things up when he noticed the nurses and doctors staring peculiarly at him. A vein popped.

"AND WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT!?" he yelled. Even though he was just a kid, all the adults went running, having completely forgotten that.

* * *

"Where on Earth have you been? How many weeks and not a single a call?! Do you know how worried I was?" Natsumi asked, fuming with so much anger that almost rivaled that of Emmy's but he could see them watering a bit so it wasn't all completely in fury and she really knew how to make him feel bad for it.

"I know. I know… I'm really sorry but it's just some things came up it wasn't exactly, well, it's just complicated. I don't even think I should say anything about it." Endou admitted. It wasn't even his to say. The only person who had a say in it was _her_.

"If you knew, why didn't you call? I mean, Emmy was the first person you called!" she sobbed. Endou wrapped his wife in his arms as he consoled and soothed her as best he could.

"Sorry. I should have called. I know things have been hard. Emmy called me up and told me what happened." Endou said. Natsumi just sniffled and held him. Endou hated to say this but he had to leave again soon to return to his job at Raimon and then to visit Tenma since yesterday's visit went disastrously.

…

"I'm sorry but I don't think we've met before." Endou said. The gruff man merely stared back.

Endou already had a guess based on Tsunami's overdramatic description of him which wasn't so overdramatic now. He really was big in every sense of the word and his glares could definitely stop most in their tracks. The resemblance between father and child was very striking.

In Fuyuka's mind however, she was too shocked to even give a comment. Why was this man here!? Where was Dr. Itsukura!? He was supposed to be watching Tenma now so why wasn't here protecting him from this brute!?

The man didn't answer. He could sense the ambient hostility coming from the purple-haired nurse. Just another nosy shrew who thought she knew everything when it was nothing. He'd already had enough of those annoying types which was why he wanted to be alone but even now…

"That is of no concern to you." He answered back with a feeling of déjà vu, sure he had said before more than once, perhaps out of habit.

"Actually, it is." Endou answered. "I'm the coach of the Raimon Eleven. Who you are and how you're related to a player on my team is definitely my business."

"If you cared so much, where were you then when this happened." He asked with a rather piercing, black glare.

"…I understand your feeling but you and I both know well enough that no one could have foreseen this." Endou said in a polite but stern and domineering manner. "I just asked for your name. If it's nothing Fuyuppe should be worried about, then there shouldn't be a problem with you telling us that."

"And what happens if I don't?" he threatened with a glare that sent Fuyuka quivering which was rare in itself considering that her father was amongst the most intimidating in Inazuma.

"I have a friend who works in the media." He answered steadfastly. Inwardly, however, he was nervous. He wasn't so sure about this but it was worth a try. "If you don't tell me, then I'll tell her about Hikari."

As soon as he said, the man's tough and authoritarian aura vanished and he suddenly began sweating bullets as he looked at Endou in shock.

"You…! How did you-!?"

Looks he hit a nerve or maybe more.

"So do we have a deal?" Endou asked. The man grumbled and maybe cursed a little and then to Fuyuka's surprised, he nodded his in compliance. Just what happened?

Endou noticed her bafflement and whispered as low as possible, "I'll tell you…if I can."

* * *

He sighed to himself as he left the principal's office after having finished explaining the reason for his absence and it was pretty darn easy. A little intimidation and they practically gave him the thumbs up. Still, it wasn't like he didn't see them as threats.

He still remembered about Fuyukai and his sabotage attempt ten years ago and from day one, when he saw him standing there next to the principal, he swore that if he saw him try to do anything, he would make him wish that he hadn't stopped Emmy from coming over to his house that day to give him a taste of her knuckles.

Anyway, although he managed to reason with that man the day before, because he had to spend so much time doing that, visiting hours had already finished and so he wasn't able to talk to the doctor in charge of Tenma whom Fuyuppe was sure would be there and since that was what it said on Tenma's schedule which the doctor in said had set up himself.

Endou was too curious over the strange situation but with his return, he wouldn't be able to visit Tenma until the afternoon so until then, he might as well return to doing his job.

He just he hoped that he wouldn't be there this time to cause trouble but something told him that he would. He saw Tsurugi leaving a room and heading to Tenma's direction as he was leaving the hospital building and just as he was walking back to the soccer clubroom, he saw Tsurugi pass by him again, covered in bruises and muttering, "…stupid old jerk…I'll show that…"

He was so angry that he didn't even notice the coach's return as he stood right there close by.

"Guess he's back again." Endou sighed.

* * *

The man gaze intently at the piece of cut apple. He had just finished peeling it with his trusty knife. He set the apple pieces by Tenma's side who was still asleep in a plate.

A man in a white coat came in with a just as frightening glare as the other man in the room.

"Wow. I've never seen you this rattled up before. Mind telling me what happened?" he asked.

"You? Concerned, Itsukura? That's not like you at all." He retorted.

"Right back at you big fellow." He said with his back against the door while looking at his patient.

"This kid got real lucky, you know that? If the doctor had been anyone else, this game of charade you set up would have been up." He said. "Now I've been looking after 'Tenma', completely blind for a while now so I think I deserve some answers, don't you?"

The man wasn't as surprised. Itsukura wasn't the type who liked to be left in the dark, especially since he let her in on it and not him.

* * *

"It looks like this is the place." Emmy told herself. Endou must have had his hands full to ask her to do something as simple as an inquiring information for him.

She stood outside the quaint eatery, feeling she'd seen it before. "It seems like everyone is involved with this case. This could get interesting."


	7. Stealing from the Doctor (Day 3 pt 2)

In the bright and sunny of town of Inazuma, there was an out of place, ominous, visible cloud of hate rising from a tiny spot of the settlement and it didn't go unnoticed by some of the locals.

"Does anyone notice that Tsurugi seems…" Hamano muttered over to Hayami as Tsurugi used Death Sword with more ferocity than he ever had in a long time with an equally as ferocious expression to back it up, his eyes practically screaming _die_ over and over again even though their goalkeeper definitely meant no harm in whatsoever way.

"Really, really angry...?" Hayami finished for him with a shiver as his fear began to build again.

"Yeah, I haven't seen him like this since before." Hamano said and it wasn't just him. Everyone noticed in the school noticed but not a soul pointed it out as they were all too fearful to whenever they saw him walk by, glaring poisoned daggers out at anything and muttering and cursing lowly with inaudible words while a black, malignant aura emanated from his very soul for all to see.

"I wonder what got into him?" he said. Even though he was yards away, Tsurugi somehow managed to hear his brightly comments and turned back at the two with another sharp glare, causing the two to run away like rabbits.

This did not go unnoticed by their coach who was very sure what the cause of his rage was after giving Fuyuppe a call just hours ago and she gladly explained to him everything or what she thought had happened which so very did.

He had stayed overnight at the hospital just as he thought and then upon asking her to check Tenma's visitor list, she confirmed to him that the man from before had paid a visit too right before Tsurugi left. And when Tsurugi left, many doctors and nurses corrected her to write '_thrown out_' rather than '_leave_' on the guestbook.

He still probably is there then or at least that was what Endou thought. Surely no caring father would abandon their child at a time like this but with that man's character, it was difficult to tell.

Finally, his watch struck 4:30 and he couldn't be happier. With a raise of his hand, he yelled "That's enough, everyone. Time to pack up and go." and didn't waste much time himself. Haruna went over to ask where he had been all this time but by then he had taken his bag and ran off.

She was worried because despite having disappeared for a long time again and hearing Tenma's situation for the first time, he still remained as casual as he ever did like nothing had happened which wasn't earning him points with the kids now. She could see Kurama glare back in his direction and she couldn't help but worry for what could happen for the entire team.

Back when Fifth Sector was in control, both the team looked close to falling apart, only managing by a line which frail as the second team fell and disbanded. Had it not been for Endou or…Tenma. Yes, had it not been for him, perhaps the Raimon Eleven would have ceased to exist just as it did many years ago. Just thinking at how it could have happened made her heart break and just thinking that it could be happening again made her close to breaking down.

* * *

"He left already?" Endou asked, disheartened at his missed opportunity to question him about Tenma.

"Yeah." Fuyuka answered but in a happier tone. "Just about and hour ago."

"So was he the one who left those?" he asked, point down to a tiny dish sitting by a sleeping Tenma who unfortunately didn't look like would be waking up any moment soon. "It's a little bit cutesy but I guess when you're a father, a side like that has to exist."

"Wait, he's Tenma father? That guy!? But they look nothing alike!" Fuyuka gasped.

Endou let out a nervous chuckle. That's right. He forgotten he hadn't told her anything yet.

"It's just a hunch though." He lied ever so slightly. A hunch but was one he was very sure was correct.

"I think your hunch might be off on this one." She disagreed to no surprise. No culd believe the two were related, Tenma being the man's flesh and blood. They resembled nothing of each other, neither in the way they looked or how they acted. She shook her head with a stirred huff. This wasn't the time for it. She was working now so it was time to do her job which was to simply watch Tenma to make sure nothing of anything should happen to him.

"Anyway, um, is it all right, can I get some private time alone?" he asked. Fuyuka, who was deep in thought was taken off guard and nodded and left the room.

Once she stepped out, she muttered to herself, "How insensitive could I be?" She hadn't even thought about Mamoru. Things must have been tough for him, the only difference from before being that he never really showed it.

Once she was gone though, Endou scanned the area quickly to make sure nobody was around. Once he was sure, he went and opened the windows. "The coast is clear. Come on out."

"_Squack! Welcome back! Welcome!"_

Endou jolted and shushed the source of the noise perched snuggly on the window sill; Coo, his pet parrot and if Fuyuppe learned of this, she would scold him to no end.

"Shush, Coo! You're supposed to be quiet, remember?" he whispered. "If Fuyuppe hears you, she'll chase you away and have me on the coroner's table!"

After returning to the office yesterday to hand Coo his reward apple, he got worried about Tenma. Not that he didn't trust Fuyuppe or doctors or hospitals but he just didn't trust hospitals. It was a problem of his. He just couldn't rest easy just leaving it up to them to watch over the child. What if something were to happen?

And so he asked Coo to go and watch over Tenma from the window and he agreed, for a price that is. Coo was a very persuasive negotiator.

"Here you are." Endou said with a shiny, bright-red Misthallery Pippin, Coo's favorite which he had a lot of trouble finding.

"_Apple! Squaa! Delicious! Apple!"_ Coo squawked over and over. Endou shushed him again to keep his voice down for Tenma's sake.

"So, Coo, Fuyuppe told me someone came over. Was it a scary looking guy in a trench coat?" Endou asked.

"_Yes, yes! And a white coat!" _Coo squawked.

"You mean a doctor, right?" Endou asked and he nodded.

"_Looking after, Tenma! Answers! Tell me!" _he squaqked again, now his voice changing.

"Answers? About what? What did he say exactly, Coo?" Endou said.

"_Difficult! It's just difficult!"_ Coo repeated in a deep same husky voice, the same as the old man with great likeness.

Mimicking was something Coo was well-known for. Unfortunately, he had trouble copying sentences exactly and so most of his mimicry ended being fragmented words, short sentences at best, which one had to work out to sense for themselves. _"Had to! Letters! Here! Don't worry! Protect!"_

"Protect?" Endou wondered. "He might have meant Tenma but what was that about letters?"

"_Here, here!"_ Coo answered. _"Hold it! Should anything happen!"_

"Hmm…by the sound of it, did he give it to the doctor with him?" Endou asked.

"_Yes! I'll put it in my desk!"_ Coo answered.

"I see." Endou answered. "I'm going to go and try to find those letters now, Coo. If Tenma wakes up, stay here until I come back, okay? And speak a bit more clearly. Tenma won't be in the condition to understand the way you talk unlike me." Endou asked and the parrot just nodded, repeating 'Yes!' and 'Apples!' over and over.

Coo was smart. He would definitely do as he instructed but why wouldn't he just speak with full sentences instead of just picking it apart? Sometimes he found himself wondering if Coo talked like that on purpose just to give him a hard time, remembering the countless days he had tried to teach him.

As Endou told that to himself with a chuckle, he forgot to shut the window. Coo was nibbling on the apple when he noticed some more sitting near the bed.

With his big, juicy one, he flew over to polish off the rest of the delicious apples.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm sure this is…still illegal but it's for a good cause." Endou said to himself, not entirely believing it himself. He was going to break into a doctor's desk to look for something even he himself didn't quite know.

Surely it wasn't abnormal for a doctor to receive letters of other sorts. Hopefully, he wouldn't realize that it was missing.

It took a minute or two to pick the lock but once he opened it, the desk was almost empty, save for a phone and a wallet.

"You're kidding me." Endou said, feeling around inside. "Where did he put-"

Just as he said that, door clicked and Endou quickly realized that someone was coming and ran and hid behind a nearby curtain.

"And I'm telling you, get the man a room and run some blood tests." He yelled angrily.

"But sir, none of this is necessary! It's just a flu-" The nurse said but the doctor quickly caught him off.

"Who's the doctor here?" he asked in a very furious tone.

"Uh, you are…" he answered with fright.

"Then do as I say and get the man room and start running blood tests!" he yelled and the scared nurse ran out quickly.

"Rookies!" he huffed. He took a seat behind his desk, sitting down angrily, obviously ticked and angry. He took out the keys to his desk which he never went without, it's a principle, but after pushing the keys in and turning them, he was a little surprised that when he pulled the drawer, it didn't budge.

"Huh?" he wondered. He pulled several times but it remained unmoved. He took a look under his desk and frowned to see his candy wrapper there.

He got up, looking around the room warily and then he saw the curtains. He walked there and quickly pulled them.

"…keh." He grumbled as he stared at the empty space. "The late shifts must be starting to get to me. I was sure someone was here."

"Quickly, doctor, we need your help with something!" a nurse yelled as one came running in. The doctor grumbled, giving one last look around his office before leaving.

"Phew…" Endou sighed as he crawled out from under the bed. He went over to the desk and picked up a tiny parchment lying just under the man's office chair.

"That was too close. I didn't think he planted something in his drawer to alert for snoopers." Examining the parchment as he said that. It was an old trick to plant something to check if someone had been looking through your belongings. Leaving the drawer half open or placing a small twig in front of it was a common trick that even he used occasionally now and then. He was shocked to see that he used it too when he the paper fall from the drawer.

Endou got up but in his haste, he accidentally hit the desk, make a tiny yelp from the pain.

"Ow. Anyway, perhaps inside the drawer is a bit too obvious for him. I better take another look at his desk." Endou noted while nursing his bump but that was when he noticed; the desk looked expensive! It was nothing like he'd ever seen before.

"This must be specially built." Endou said. He wondered, if he had it was specially built, then he could have requested for some hidden compartments to be added.

Endou began to check around under the desk and there, a strange number lock. He had a good feeling about this.

"Now all that's left to do is figure out the number…" Endou thought for a bit and began moving the dials. "…0..6..0 and…3."

Endou was ecstatic to hear a click and when pulled, low and behold; a secret compartment in the desk, literally! And there inside was an envelope, with a tiny bit of parchment visible. It had to be the letter Coo was talking about!

He took the envelope out and looked behind it and there it was.

_Tsuyoshi Masanori_

That was the name of Tenma's father, his name typed on the back. He slipped the parchment out and everything he was afraid of became real in that moment.

_I know who your son is…_

_I know what happened ten years ago…_

…_and what you've been doing since then._

_It no longer matters._

_Now that I know…_

_I plan to finish what I started ten years ago…_

…_and kill your precious child._

Endou's spine shivered. This was definitely not good.

"I think I've stayed long enough. I better go before he comes back." Endou decided.

He hurried out the room as swiftly as he could, making sure no one saw to keep the good doctor from finding out. Unfortunately though, someone did notice.

The figure watched as he walked right by, hiding just in the shadow of the stairs with a scowl across his face.

"Another one… Fine. That's fine. I'll just do away with him like I did with that last one. Then all I need to do is wait and that obnoxious little brat will be dead...

* * *

The Misthallery Pippin is a delicious, red apple that is Coo's favorite. He used to steal it from fruit stands back when he lived in London. Endou tries his best to feed him it or else he will go and steal apples again, much like what he's doing to Tenma's apples.

Also, he's not joking about Coo being a 'persuasive negotiator'. Coo likes to fly around in town when he can so hears and sees a lot things, some you might not want to go around. Unless Endou wants those to go public, he needs to keep Coo happy. Still, Endou cares for Coo as much as any pet owner.


	8. The Nightmare (Day 3 pt 3)

Authors note: I'm so sorry for taking this long! I'm still preparing for college and stuff so... Anyway, also sorry for my stories for not being so good. I'm still a bit unsure on how to write a mystery themed story. It's pretty hard for me so I'm spending my time now reading up on mystery based stories. I've got a long way to go...

* * *

"Hello, it's me again!" a brown haired child ecstatically smiled, running over to a lone boy lying under the comfort of a Japanese sago palm's shade who remained where he was despite the child's loud, booming voice, not even batting and eye to greet him.

"…"

"Hey! Heeellloo~! Don't ignore me!" the child pouted with a puff of his red cheeks and began poking the boy on his head. "Come on, Tsuuurrrugiiii~!"

"…"

"Tsuuu! Ruu! Giii!" the child said over again before sighing with an annoyed huff. Tsurugi, the boy the child was talking to, knew far better this time. Everything he was seeing, hearing, and feeling at this very moment were nothing but a crude sham his mind made up. This was all just another dream again. It wasn't even that accurate.

The brunette yelling at him for attention obviously wasn't real. This sandy beach he was currently lying on was definitely not real and certainly were the sounds of the tides splashing against the shore some yards away not real and he wasn't planning giving his hopes up again and make a fool out of himself. So he continued ignoring the boy.

Tsurugi was busy hearing his dream shout at him until suddenly everything became quiet. "Finally," Tsurugi sighed victoriously to himself. "he's finally-"

At the moment, Tsurugi felt something heavy crash on top of his stomach, leaving him breathless with a gasp as his eyes shot up.

Dream Tenma, having had enough of being so rudely ignored, finally sat on top of him in anger for his rudeness and he wouldn't be satisfied unless he got retribution and began jumping up and down and Tsurugi like the boy was a trampoline.

Tsurugi screamed and yelped up in pain before angrily getting up and shoving the sadistic illusion off of him

"Okay, okay! Geez!" he grumbled breathlessly with a clear expression of pain making Dream Tenma smile.

"Why do you keep doing that? It's not nice to ignore people when they're talking to you." Dream Tenma scolded softly and eerily gaily with a wide grin on his face, making Tsurugi grumble in anger when a realization came to him. Considering that dreams were supposed to be one's window to their deeper thoughts-thoughts that even they themselves could never even imagine-could this clearly wrong recreation of his friend be a sign of some sort that some part of him was actually _frightened_ of Tenma?

No, that was absolutely ridiculous….ridiculous…

"Why, yes. It's really entertaining. You should have seen the look on you face!" madly giggled Dream Tenma with sincerity. Tsurugi now wanted to wake up. Dream or not, he wasn't going to take staying another second with this demented, mental delusion.

"That's really harsh!" Tenma pouted, either somehow managing to hear his thoughts this time or he finally decided to not to take his poisonous, cutthroat remarks any longer. "You shouldn't think hurtful things about people!"

"Yeah? Well, you aren't a person. You're just a figment of my mind." Tsurugi snapped. "And I can make you disappear anytime I want so shut up."

That statement actually managed to quiet the rambunctious child who looked down, close to tears. Tsurugi almost felt sorry for his actions until he remembered what this thing did to him just a few seconds ago.

"…so you don't remember then?" he asked in tiny voice like a mouse.

Tsurugi didn't even look back at him. He had no clue what it was this thing wanted from him. Telling him to remember something with Tenma's face and voice, it was creepy and he could only tolerate so much of it.

"I don't know." He finally answered. "Whatever it is you want from me, I'm sorry but I can't help you. Now leave me in peace."

"Help...me?" Tenma asked in surprise before shaking his head. "No. I just thought you wanted to help keep your promise. Don't you remember it?"

"What are you-?" Tsurugi asked as he turned back but the fabrication had vanished.

Then out of nowhere, he heard something.

"…_Tsurugi."_ He heard a voice calland for some reason, not only did Tsurugi feel that he recognized that voice, even though it didn't sound like Tenma's, he felt a strong sense of forlorn, guilt, and misery, as though a million chains had suddenly dropped on him and dragged him down to a deep pit so horrible, not even he could imagine. He began to shake and stood up and glanced around to find who was calling him but there nothing but an endless dark space around him.

"…_please…"_ the voice cried weakly._  
_

And suddenly, a thin flash of light appeared, making Tsurugi turn and there underneath it was Tenma, lying down lifelessly on the ground. Tsurugi was about to run and help him when another thin light appeared but this time a black figure stood underneath it and the very moment Tsurugi saw him, it felt like his soul had suddenly been ripped out off him.

The figure then took notice of Tsurugi and stared at him for a while before turning and began walking towards him. And then, like a fool-he froze there. His body turned numb and he began shaking. For the first time in a long time, he felt scared. His mind had turned a blank and he couldn't understand why this was happening. He didn't know what to do. He took a step back but something caught his leg and fell back with a scream.

He took a look up and there the figure was.

This…Tsurugi wanted to run. He had to get away from here!

He didn't even think of trying to help Tenma who was still lying only some feet away. Every fiber in his body began screaming at him abandon him or they would both die.

_Just leave him there! The figure would surely leave you alone if you ran away and left him…!_

His began heart pounding fast and he opened his eyes, pupils now dilated, silently screaming, scanning the area to make sure the figure was gone. No longer was there the figure or Tenma or the voice crying out. No longer was there the void or the comforting shade of the tree. Just some people staring at him from their tables, whispering something either to their companions or to themselves, most likely about him.

He grumbled and sat back down on his seat, staring at his coffee on the quaint table, still shaking terribly from his nightmare as his mind began racing to answer himself as to what had just happened and why was he so frightened?

He only slumped down, hiding his head by burying it in his arms on the table.

"Not again." He thought. He had come to this cafe to relax but he ended up making a fool of himself again. A thought back to that figure and he felt like crying and screaming and his body began shake even more but not from fear. From shame.

Even though it was a dream, he actually chose to let Tenma die to save himself.

He used every ounce of strength left to stop his screaming and cursing and self-berating from being blown out in a huge explosion.

When had he become so scared…? When had he turned into a coward…?

When...h-he had to go visit Tenma now!

He set the money down and left running in such hurry, he bumped into a woman visiting without so much as an apologize nor even a glance.

He didn't care for her. He didn't care about anything. For some reason, he just wanted to run away. To anywhere but here.

"Kids these days. They just go around running like they own the place!" the woman huffed, looking back at Tsurugi before looking up at the tiny establishment's sign.

"This looks like the place." She identified with a happy nod like a pat to herself in the back. She stepped in with a ring of the bell as pushed the door and looked around before spotting a familiar face.

"Good afternoon, Noroma." she greeted, smacking him in the back casually which the officer took fairly well.

"Oh, *omgh,* Emmy! Nice to, chomp, see you. *Munch, munch,* so watcha doing here?" he asked with a few chomps of his thick _shepherd's pie_. That was the establishment's specialty. Instead of local Japanese food, they served English cuisine. It seemed a bit foreign but the delicious scent of stew cooking and lamb roasting with herbs was nostalgic for Emmy(and very tantalizing).

"Just came to visit." Emmy answered. "How's the grumpy detective doing? Not driving you too hard I hope."

"Ooh. I don't want to even think." The peculiar policeman answered, gulping down the cuts of roasted lamb, beef and vegetables and of course, mashed potatoes. "He's all ready as upset as it is that we weren't getting anywhere with the case. And then at the last minute, we were assigned to new one."

"Huh? What will happen to Ten-I mean the child's case." Emmy asked worriedly since he was her only link to the inside happenings of the attempted murder and if he had really been reassigned, well- let's just say the other officers weren't as easy to squeeze important information out of.

"Sorry but yes, it's true." Noroma finally answered properly, having finally finished down his fifth helping. "We're currently working on a murder case of an unknown woman! You should have seen how angry the detective was!"

"I can understand. Anyway, I'll be seeing you around then." Emmy answered in a more grave tone, not knowing how to deal with her main source of information as to the case's progression being cut off so suddenly.

"See you." He answered, putting back on his police hat. "And would you, erm, keep quiet about my little work break?"

"But of course! You're secret's safe with me." Emmy winked with a nod. "Good luck with your new case."

The stout policeman saluted gratefully and left, leaving Emmy to laugh a little. "He resembles Constable Barton so much. It's a wonder they aren't related." She told herself.

As Emmy laughed, a woman with a small glass in one hand came out from the kitchen laughing and the moment she entered, the patrons quickly stopped their casual talks and began to quiet down to a whisper. Her attire was semi-formal and flashy; a simple but showy white sleeveless cocktail dress and black high heels with her long, pitch black hair flowing out-not exactly what one would wear in a kitchen but no man in the building questioned. It was something the woman had taught her regulars well-and that was to never snoop into her business, less they wanted to pay very dearly for their meals.

Her mere presence alone in the room made a difference and Emmy noticed it. The atmosphere from easy-going and chatty quickly became tense and stuffy. The woman herself radiated an aura that gave herself a sense of both high refinement and high authority but at the same time, she had a sort of magnetism to herself that made it feel so easy to approach her yet so dangerous. Emmy had found herself once again in a very peculiar situation.

"I don't think I've seen you hear before." The woman greeted Emmy in a very polite, classy fashion.

"What can I do to help you? We've got some freshly roasted lamb in the back, it's still nice and tender or maybe I can interest you with some mouth watering _peach melba_? It's a nice even of sweet and sour and it'll definitely drive away all that ails you." She offered with a warm smile and the brightness in her eyes as she talked about food only served to back up her proud statements.

Emmy was drooling now. She almost ordered those two(and half the menu) until she remembered her priorities. Her heart sank on missing a of the succulent, juicy lamb and the cold, refreshing, fruity peach melba…..

*growl~!* went her stomach but she pushed her hunger down as deep as she could and wiped away the drool trickling down her mouth.

"I'm here lamb, I mean ma'am," Emmy corrected herself hungrily. She was starting to sound like that boy now. "to ask you about something really important."

"Ooh. What sort of something?" the woman inquired curiously. "Do you run restaurant too? Hmm, I have been thinking about opening another place but something more accessible to the public so they'll come to try my dishes."

"Um, not that sort importance." Emmy corrected. "I came here to ask you about October seventeenth-"

***SMASH!*** went the glass crystal in her hand to pieces, silencing the room for a brief second before all normal conversations continued amongst the patrons, albeit ever more quietly this time.

"…I'm sorry." The woman's voice cracked as she attempted to recover her composure, oblivious to the trinkling blood slithering down her wrist. "But I think you've over stayed you're welcome. Please leave."

"What? No, at le-"Emmy said but the woman shook her head before opening her eyes. No longer were they welcoming. Instead, they were cold and murderous.

"**OUT. NOW.**" She insisted with a powerful, frightening tone. Emmy wasn't a bit scared. In fact, she was now itching for fight, through with being nice but there two many people about. Emmy sucked up her pride and strode out as calmly and ladylike as she could.

"I hope Mark has better luck than me."

* * *

Endou walked as fast as he could to Tenma's room. He wasn't usually intimidated so much of being found out but this time the person involved this time was different-he was very much capable of finding him out, which was also by all means all right with Endou.(by only a bit) What he wasn't okay with was having the best evidence he had so far being taken away before he could do anymore with it.

He would leave the hospital directly but he still had Tenma as his responsibility-one he couldn't even think of compromising even the slightest.

Endou finally reached Tenma's room and knocked the door three times quickly and opened the door without even bothering for a reply.

"Coo, I'm going now. Please make…oh."

Coo didn't reply and Endou could see clearly why. His pet was busy.

Tsurugi, who had just arrived after having ran all the way from the shop to the hospital, wasn't very surprised to see his coach standing there. Rather, he just wasn't in the mood. Right now, his emotions were all too messed up together in a giant mesh even he couldn't understand. Anything could happen-an old man walking by could have a heart attack, a nurse could run in screaming about some huge traffic accident where everyone was dead or even some lunatic could just run up to him right now and punch him in the face and proceed to beat him-so long as none of it involved Tenma, none of it would faze him. in fact, the last example was a very welcoming idea for Tsurugi. It was justly punishment for him.

Even when Coach Endou seemed surprised and began to retreat from the room, Tsurugi didn't wonder at all. He simply went towards the door, rudely pushing himself between his coach and the large, sliding plank, without even uttering a word when he something that managed to finally faze him from sudden depressed state.

Coo still said no word to greet the two visitors though. The bird was still too busy entertaining Tenma who was giggling and clapping but softly as he was still weak from his wounds and had to take care for them as he watched the parrot balance a plate on his tiny green head amidst a still flight.

"Oh, hi Coach! Hi, Tsurugi! Isn't this bird wonderful? He can even mimic my voice!"

* * *

_Shephard's Pie_: Better known as cottage pie. It is an English dish containing either roasted lamb and/or beef, with vegetables placed in a pan with mashed potatoes as its crust.

_Peach Melba_: A nice dessert. It is a combination of peaches and raspberry sauce accompanying vanilla ice cream. *drool*

Also, if you play Professor Layton and the Specter's Flute, you may recognize several lines said by Emmy. They're an allusion to her previous adventures with her old company.

I'm also aware of Dream Tenma's a contradicting character. Maybe part of Tsurugi is a frightened of Tenma but that notion is ridiculous, isn't it?


End file.
